Help with Oktoberfest

I would skip the crystal and opt for more munich instead. I just racked my festbier over to secondary for lagering, good luck with yours!

Edit, I used 2206 as well, it pitches a ton of sulfur, be warned if you get your nose too close.

 

Use more Munich and Vienna, less Pils. 1/3 of each works well. 20L Munich from Germany is hard to find, but Avangard makes one that is 15L. Otherwise you would use Briess at 20L, I like a German malt for a German beer.

As to the crystal malt, use CaraMunich III at 57L if you want to.

 

This will likely be a paler Oktoberfest. Which is great, IMO, just making sure you know.

I would use a German Munich malt as well. I can vouch for the Avangard.

I would just skip the crystal malt all together

I would consider adding a little melanoidin malt, around 3%

 

I brewed this one and it has been one of my most popular beers to date, (kicked in a day). The advantage is a quick brew time due to the hybrid yeast... I am also a BIAB'er and this is one of the few beers I will brew again.

http://brulosophy.com/recipes/moktoberfest/

 

If cleanly fermented, your recipe as is will make a tasty beer that I think you can justifiably call an Octoberfest. I think the suggestions made above to use Caramunich, sub Munich for some pils, and/or use melanoiden will make for a richer, maltier beer that might do better in a competition (I'm not a judge -- this is just a gut feel). Another tweak might be to use up to a couple ounces of a dehusked carafa for color. For me personally, the change with the biggest payoff would revolve around the crystal malt -- either less, switch to Caramunich, or both.

 

Lots of suggestions in this thread.

Wyeast 2206 used to be my yeast of choice to brew Oktoberfest beers until my LHBS gave me a free pack of Wyeast 2633 (Oktoberfest Blend). The batch I brewed with 2633 was my best Oktoberfest ever! I have been using that strain to brew Oktoberfest beer ever since.

Cheers!

 

For the same grist this yeast produced a much more complex malt profile which was very pleasing for my palate.

Below is the description that Wyeast provides for this yeast strain:

“This blend of lager strains is designed to produce a rich, malty, complex and full bodied Octoberfest style beer. It attenuates well while leaving plenty of malt character and mouthfeel. This strain is low in sulfur production.”

The above verbiage accurately describes my Oktoberfest beers brewed using this strain.

Cheers!

 

My 2 cents :

1 oz Roasted Barley to darken it a bit more and add a touch at the end of the sip.
I would raise a bit melanoiden to 5 %
2 gms calcium chloride.

 

@JackHorzempa what temps did you lager your 2206 oktoberfest?

 

Upper 30's (e.g., 38 degrees F)

Cheers!

 

I am down to 35 and plan on staying there... I think. Howtobrew has some strange lager info, like you shouldn't lager more than 10 to 15 degrees cooler than your primary? Do you feel lagering colder would have changed your experience with the yeast?

 

No I do not think so.

There seems to be lots of opinions on what is the 'best' lagering temperature but I have not found any scientific articles on this specific topic.

In the online How to Brew book by John Palmer it states:

"Nominal lagering times are 3 - 4 weeks at 45°F, 5 - 6 weeks at 40°F, or 7 - 8 weeks at 35°F."

Cheers!

 

that's what I have read also, however the part that confused me was "The temperature difference between the primary phase and the lager phase should be roughly 10°F.".

 

I have no understanding of that specific statement.

Lots of folks ferment their lager beers in the 50's and then lager close to freezing and report good results. I have even read of folks who lager at below 32 degrees F since beer needs to be colder than freezing temperature in order to freeze.

My recommendation to you is to not 'overthink' this (unless you find a good scientific article on this topic). Your lagering temperature of 35 degrees F will 'work' just fine.

The brewers who made beer before refrigeration was invented produced quality beers by simply placing the beer in ice caves to lager.

Cheers!

 

Taste the beer and see if you have diary tell. If Yes, Ramp the temperature up while you have a couple degrees Plato left, or 1.020-1.022 or so. This will increase the yeast metabolism, blow off sulfur, and clean up the beer. Give it a few days. Taste the beer, if no D, Start dropping the temp for Lagering.